The present invention relates to a method and composition for treating cardiac arrhythmias. More particularly, the invention relates to the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias with at least one compound selected from piperidine-2-carboxylic acid-2,6-dimethyl anilide; piperidine-2-carboxylic acid-2,4-dimethyl anilide; piperidine-2-carboxylic acid-2,4,6-trimethyl anilide; and piperidine-2-carboxylic acid-2-methyl-5-chloro anilide.
The compound piperidine-2-carboxylic acid-2,6-dimethyl anilide is known in the prior art. For example, Ekenstam et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,465 discloses piperidine-2-carboxylic acid-2,6-dimethyl anilide as an intermediate for use in making of, e.g., N-(2-hydroxyethyl)pipecolinyl-2,6-dimethyl anilide. The latter compound is disclosed in Ekenstam et al. Swedish Pat. No. 161,236 as having antiarrhythmic activity, but piperidine-2-carboxylic acid-2,6-dimethyl anilide is not disclosed as possessing such activity. Other patents disclosing piperidine-2-carboxylic acid-2,6-dimethyl anilide include Pettersson U.S. Pat. No. 4,110,331 and Swedish Pat. Nos. 161,236 and 164,063. However, none of these patents disclose or suggest the use of piperidine-2-carboxylic acid-2-6-dimethyl anilide; piperidine-2-carboxylic acid-2,4-dimethyl anilide; piperidine-2-carboxylic acid-2,4,6-trimethyl anilide; piperidine-2-carboxylic acid-2-methyl-5-chloro anilide in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.
The compounds N-methyl-piperidine-2-carboxylic acid-2,6-dimethyl anilide; N-ethyl-piperidine-2-carboxylic acid-2,6-dimethyl anilide; and N-butyl-piperidine-2-carboxylic acid-2,6-dimethyl anilide have also been disclosed as having local anesthetic properties. However, these compounds have serious side effects which make them unsuitable for use as antiarrhythmic agents in man.